Residents press council over proposed BJ's at Inverness and long‑standing stormwater/detention‑pond issues

Several Hoover residents used the public‑comment period at the Oct. 27 council meeting to oppose a proposed BJ's Wholesale Club at Inverness and to press the city on alleged failures to inventory and maintain detention and retention ponds.

Barbara Aldred (Inverness area) said Valleydale Road is congested and that neighbors do not support a large store across from their neighborhood, urging the council to act to preserve neighborhood safety. Sharon Vestwig (Inverness Highlands) likewise told the council she and neighbors do not want BJ's and asked for help recruiting tenants for existing empty storefronts instead of approving new big‑box development.

David Robson delivered an extended personal appeal opposing the proposal, stating the project would be "indefensible" next to Danbury at Inverness retirement home, citing construction disruption, an estimated 1,000 additional vehicle trips per day mentioned in his remarks, and concerns about impacts on residents in wheelchairs and those with dementia.

Separately, residents Katie Thomas and Matt Winther of Scout Creek described a history of drainage problems tied to Magnolia Grove detention pond and alleged the city has not complied with National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) reporting and has not maintained required inspection records for private structural controls. Thomas recounted that Magnolia Grove's detention pond certification came with caveats about downstream infrastructure; she said the city did not require upgrades and that downstream properties flooded beginning in 2014. Winther said an Open Records request for structural control records was acknowledged as "time intensive" beyond the statutory 15‑day notice and that required inventories and inspection records do not appear in the city's MS4 annual report.

Council did not take new action on the BJ's proposal or the drainage complaints during the meeting; residents were directed to follow up with code enforcement and relevant departments as appropriate.